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The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation in 2008 because it was regularly supporting significant populations of the species listed below, meeting ('triggering') IBA criteria.

Populations meeting IBA criteria ('trigger species') at the site:

Species	Red List	Season (year/s of estimate)	Size	IBA criteria
Northern Bobwhite Colinus virginianus	NT	resident (2003)	unknown	A1
West Indian Whistling-duck Dendrocygna arborea	NT	resident (2003)	1,000 birds	A1, A3, A4i
American Flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber	LC	breeding (2003)	100,000 birds	A4i
White-crowned Pigeon Patagioenas leucocephala	NT	resident (2003)	unknown	A1
Plain Pigeon Patagioenas inornata	NT	resident (2003)	unknown	A1, A3
Key West Quail-Dove Geotrygon chrysia	LC	resident (2007)	unknown	A3
Gray-fronted Quail-Dove Geotrygon caniceps	VU	resident (2007)	unknown	A1, A3
Antillean Nighthawk Chordeiles gundlachii	LC	breeding (2006)	unknown	A3
Cuban Nightjar Antrostomus cubanensis	LC	resident (2007)	unknown	A3
Antillean Palm Swift Tachornis phoenicobia	LC	resident (2007)	unknown	A3
Cuban Emerald Riccordia ricordii	LC	resident (2007)	unknown	A3
Cuban Lizard-cuckoo Coccyzus merlini	LC	resident (2007)	unknown	A3
Brown Pelican Pelecanus occidentalis	LC	resident (2007)	800 birds	B4i
Double-crested Cormorant Nannopterum auritum	LC	breeding (2007)	40,000 birds	A4i
Cuban Pygmy-owl Glaucidium siju	LC	resident (2007)	unknown	A3
Bare-legged Owl Margarobyas lawrencii	LC	resident (2007)	unknown	A3
Gundlach's Hawk Accipiter gundlachi	EN	resident (2003)	unknown	A1, A3
Cuban Trogon Priotelus temnurus	LC	resident (2007)	unknown	A3
Cuban Tody Todus multicolor	LC	resident (2007)	unknown	A3
Fernandina's Flicker Colaptes fernandinae	EN	resident (2003)	unknown	A1, A3
Cuban Green Woodpecker Xiphidiopicus percussus	LC	resident (2007)	unknown	A3
West Indian Woodpecker Melanerpes superciliaris	LC	resident (2006)	unknown	A3
Cuban Pewee Contopus caribaeus	LC	resident (2007)	unknown	A3
Loggerhead Kingbird Tyrannus caudifasciatus	LC	resident (2007)	unknown	A3
La Sagra's Flycatcher Myiarchus sagrae	LC	resident (2007)	unknown	A3
Cuban Vireo Vireo gundlachii	LC	resident (2007)	unknown	A3
Cuban Crow Corvus nasicus	LC	resident (2003)	unknown	A3
Cuban Martin Progne cryptoleuca	LC	resident (2007)	unknown	A3
Cuban Gnatcatcher Polioptila lembeyei	LC	resident (2003)	unknown	A2, A3
Oriente Warbler Teretistris fornsi	LC	resident (2003)	2–132 birds	A2, A3
Cuban Oriole Icterus melanopsis	LC	resident (2007)	unknown	A3
Tawny-shouldered Blackbird Agelaius humeralis	LC	resident (2007)	unknown	A3
Cuban Blackbird Ptiloxena atroviolacea	LC	resident (2007)	unknown	A3
Greater Antillean Grackle Quiscalus niger	LC	resident (2007)	unknown	A3
Western Spindalis Spindalis zena	LC	resident (2007)	unknown	A3
Painted Bunting Passerina ciris	LC	resident (2003)	unknown	A1
Cuban Grassquit Phonipara canora	LC	resident (2007)	unknown	A3
Cuban Bullfinch Melopyrrha nigra	NT	resident (2007)	unknown	A3
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	breeding (2007)	195,000–270,000 birds	A4iii

Year	Protected Area	Designation (management category)	% coverage of IBA
2001	Río Máximo	Refugio de Fauna (IV)	63
2010	Cayo Guajaba	Área Protegida de Recursos Manejados (VI)	36

Habitat	% of IBA	Habitat detail
Marine Neritic	65
Marine Coastal/Supratidal	20
Forest	10	Mangrove; Gallery & riparian; Flooded tropical evergreen; Tropical lowland evergreen; Tropical deciduous
Marine Intertidal	minor (<10)
Wetlands (inland)	minor (<10)	Freshwater marshes & swamps; Rivers; Streams

Land use	% of IBA
nature conservation and research	100

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Río Máximo (Cuba). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/río-máximo-iba-cuba on 22/12/2024.